Detection and Identification Methods and Control Techniques for Crop Seed Diseases

Abstract

Seeds comprise an important way in which plant pathogens are introduced into new areas, and serve as carriers for their survival from one planting season to another. Seed health is a recognized factor in modern agricultural science, and affects ideal plant populations and good harvests. Seed disease is one of the most important biological constraints in seed production worldwide. Effective and rapid detection and identification methods for seed disease comprise an important step in crop management, and a measure to protect seeds from pathogens. The detection of seed diseases is usually divided into three categories: traditional detection, immunological detection, and bioinformatics-based detection. The detection methods used for different types of pathogens also vary. For the prevention and control of seed diseases, appropriate methods should also be adopted, such as physical methods, chemical methods, and biological methods. They can be used alone or in combination to achieve the purpose of disease prevention and control. Therefore, this article reviews some important crop seed diseases, their detection and identification methods, and control techniques, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the comprehensive prevention and effective control of seed diseases.

1. Introduction

Crop seeds comprise an important agricultural means of production, and the basic production unit of food crops in the world. They play an important role in agricultural production. High-quality seeds can not only increase the yield of crops, but also improve their quality. In recent years, seeds have become an international commodity for germplasm resource exchange around the world [1]. However, the increasingly serious occurrence of seed diseases often leads to a decrease in crop yield, quality, and even economic benefits, seriously limiting the sustainable development of modern agriculture. It has been reported that about one-seventh of plant viruses are transmitted through seeds [2]. Therefore, the scientific and reasonable prevention and control of crop seed diseases is of great significance for agricultural production [3].

Seed disease refers to disease that causes damage to the seeds themselves, seriously endangering agricultural production, and affecting seed breeding and promotion. Seed health testing can be used to check and determine the types and quantities of pests and diseases carried by the seeds. The quality of the seeds has a significant impact on the full realization of their yield and the value potential of crops [4]. After the onset of seed disease, the grains gradually become thin and shriveled, and the weight of 1000 grains also decreases. The crop may also be damaged by diseases, and form bacterial galls, which can lead to a large-scale reduction in crop yield and, in severe cases, even crop failure [5]. After a seed disease occurs, the plant’s appearance will inevitably be damaged, and the internal nutrient content will also be affected, leading to the emergence of odors. For example, after the occurrence of Ceratocystis fimbriata Ellis. et Halsted, the root tissue of sweet potato tubers will produce disease spots, and secrete toxic substances, such as furan terpenoids, leading to a decrease in the quality of sweet potato tubers, and a significant decrease in their commercial value [6]. After the seeds of some crops become susceptible, the pathogenic bacteria will hide in the seeds, and produce a large number of toxins, which very easily poison people and livestock after being consumed. For example, when Fusarium graminearum occurs, it will produce deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, and other mycotoxins, which will seriously endanger the health of people and livestock [7].

Through the detection of seed diseases, the germination potential of seeds can be improved, and the crop yield can be increased. This is an important step in seed disease management [8]. During the growth process of vegetables, many diseases and pests are transmitted by seed carriers. Some vegetable seeds often carry pathogens on their surface, or even inside, and the seeds can directly transmit the pathogens to the seedlings and adult plants, causing diseases. Especially during the seedling stage, most of the diseases are caused by seed carriers. Therefore, before sowing, it is necessary to scientifically disinfect the seeds, and ensure the first step of vegetable growth. Therefore, in order to ensure the use of seeds that meet quality standards in agricultural production, conducting research on seed diseases is also of great significance to agricultural producers.

This article reviews some important seed diseases in crops or vegetables, and their detection and identification methods, as well as effective prevention and control methods for seed diseases, in order to provide a theoretical basis for agricultural production, and reduce the occurrence of disease, which is of great significance in ensuring high and stable crop yields. Based on our review, we aim to find faster and more effective detection and prevention methods.

2. Important Seed Diseases in Crops

In recent years, the importance of agricultural development has been highly valued. The seed is the most basic agricultural means of production, and its quality is an important factor affecting the level of agricultural production. Many crops have serious growth conditions due to seed diseases, and they even pose a significant threat to agricultural production. This article lists some important seed diseases in crops (

Table 1. Important seed diseases in crops.

Crops	Common Seed Diseases	Characteristics	References
Corn	Erwiniastewartii	Seeds carrying bacteria shrink, darken in color, and exhibit obvious disease characteristics	[9,10]
	Ustilago maydis(DC) Corda.	The chlamydospores are spherical or ovoid in shape, dark brown or purplish brown, with microspines on the surface	[11]
	Diplodia frumenti Ell.et Ev.	A gray white mold layer appears on the outside of the seeds, and heavily damaged seeds cannot germinate	[12]
	Mycosphaerella maydis Lindau	Seeds carrying fungi turn black, often with a layer of black mold	[13]
Wheat	Wheat stem rot	After being infected with the disease, the seeds will rot or affect the normal growth of the embryonic roots, which is not conducive to the normal emergence of wheat. When the emergence period is severe, it can lead to root rot	[14]
	Wheat sharp eyespot	Rotten buds, diseased spots appear on the leaf sheaths near the surface during the emergence period, with a spindle or elliptical shape	[15]
	Fusariumsolani	After infection, it causes black embryos, ultimately leading to slow growth, and an increase in the seedling deficiency rate	[16]
Solanaceae vegetables	Tomato early blight	Mainly consisting of dark brown hyphae, conidia, and chlamydospores that overwinter or survive for several years in soil with diseased remains	[17]
	Pepper anthracnose	Overwintering via attaching conidia to the surface of the seed, or hiding in the seed as hyphae, causing infection and harm the following year	[18]
	Verticillium dahliae Kleb.	In the later stage of mycelium formation, black micro nuclei can form, and infection can occur when the environment is suitable	[19]
Cruciferous	Plasmodiophora brassicae	Adhere to the surface or interior of seeds in the form of mycelium, oospore body, spore sac, etc.	[20]
	Black rot	Germs can immerse themselves on the surface of the seed from the vascular bundle of the fruit pod stalk, or enter the seed coat from the hilum to carry bacteria inside the seed	[21]
	Peronospora parasitica	The hyphae overwinter within the seeds, and can grow sporangium stems and sporangia from within, the following spring, causing further infection	[22]
Cucurbitaceous vegetables	Cucumber angular leaf spot	Germs can attach to the surface and interior of seeds, and after sowing, the cotyledons are directly infected	[23]
	Virus	Whole-plant diseases are caused by various viruses infecting melons, some of which can become the primary source of infection through seed transmission	[24]

).

Among them, viral diseases on vegetables are common and serious diseases in the production process; they are known as the “cancer” of vegetables, and are easily transmitted through seeds. At present, there are more than 70 types of viruses that harm vegetables in China, with a wide range of occurrence. Almost all vegetable crops are likely to be subjected to them, with outcomes ranging from affecting the product quality and a causing yield reduction, to severe crop failure, seriously affecting the development of the vegetable industry.

3. Testing and Identification Methods

The detection of seed diseases is an important aspect of crop disease prevention and control during the process of introduction, breeding, and acquisition. If not detected in time, these diseases may seriously endanger agricultural production and life, affecting seed breeding and promotion [25]. The methods for detecting pathogens on seeds vary, mainly due to differences in the ways in which pathogens are transmitted and combined with the seeds. Some pathogens are mixed between seeds, some adhere to the surface of the seeds, and some occur inside the seeds, or in the seedling culture [26]. Therefore, specific testing methods should be determined based on the type of pathogen and the mode of infection. This article introduces detection and identification methods for seed diseases from three angles: conventional seed detection assays, serological methods, and molecular methods.

3.1. Conventional Seed Detection Assays

According to the types of transmission of seed diseases, and the nature of the pathogenic bacteria, different methods can be used for detection, including external or internal visual inspection of the seeds, and macroscopic or microscopic examination for the presence of pathogenic bacteria [27]. It should be noted that the tested sample seeds must be representative, and that their reliability directly affects the test results.

3.1.1. Visual Inspection

Some diseases have larger pathogens on seeds, presenting obvious symptoms. The fruiting body structure of pathogens can be detected with the naked eye, or with the help of a microscope, and the impact of pathogens on the physical appearance of seeds can also be observed. This detection method is suitable for diseases with obvious symptoms on the surface of larger pathogens or impurities, such as nematodes, galls, smut spores, mites, etc. If necessary, a microscope, a dissector, and a soft X-ray instrument can be used to inspect the test sample, remove the pathogen or particles, weigh them, or calculate the number of particles [28]. More specifically, stereoscopic fluorescence microscopy can observe transgenic seeds and molecular-labeled seeds, polarization microscopy can observe the completeness of seeds, and a biological microscope can observe seeds, embryos, etc.

3.1.2. Washing Inspection

Due to the presence of small pathogens on the surface of seeds that cannot be seen by the naked eye, the tested seed samples are often soaked in water or alcohol, shaken vigorously to concentrate the pathogens and remove excess liquid, and then tested under a microscope to identify the type and quantity of pathogens carried by the seeds [29]. This is also the most commonly used method in seed detection, and is often used in the detection of root rot, nematode disease, Ustilago crameri Korn, Bean Downy mildew, and Plasmodiophora brassicae Woronin [30].

3.1.3. Germination Test

Germ detection can be used for pathogens that adhere to the surface of seeds, or lurk on the surface and deep layers of seeds, as long as they exhibit symptoms during the germination stage. This method obtains infected seedlings, and separates them from diseased spots, and is commonly used to calculate the percentage of bacteria carried inside seeds [31].

3.2. Serological Methods

The pathogenic bacteria carried by seeds are good immunogens or antigens, and the antibodies prepared with them bind tightly and specifically to the antigens. They are detected through substrate enzymatic hydrolysis or fluorescence labeling, and are widely used in various types of detection [32]. Immunological analysis does not require the pure isolation of pathogens; therefore, it is suitable for pathogens transmitted via seeds. The immunological method is a monitoring method that is widely used to detect seed virus diseases. This method can simultaneously detect a large number of samples, has a high detection efficiency, does not require special equipment, is simple to operate, and has proven to be sensitive and reliable. Immunological seed detection mainly includes an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence microscopy [33].

In an ELISA test, an antibody targeting a specific antigen in the pathogen is added to the sample, and they react with each other, showing a significant color change, indicating infection. For example, ELISA is applied in the detection of wilt pathogens in corn seeds [34].

The immunofluorescence microscopy method utilizes the fluorescence of bacteria labeled with isothiocyanate fluorescein, via a fluorescence microscope, to directly observe the presence of bacteria in the tested seed sample. For example, Lin Zhongping [35] used immunofluorescence to study the accumulation process of 11S and 7S globulins during seed development. Immunofluorescence microscopy is also a rapid method of detecting seed-borne viruses. Although this method is not suitable for large-scale sample detection, it can also distinguish one susceptible seed from 1000 seeds [36].

3.3. Molecular Methods

Molecular methods are based on using species-specific gene sequences to accurately identify pathogens. Compared with immunological methods, they have a greatly improved sensitivity, detection rate, and specificity. This method has become an increasingly popular field in agricultural diagnosis [37]. The development of molecular technology has brought the detection and identification of seed diseases to the gene level. It directly uses DNA fragments of seeds as the detection object, with a high accuracy, stability, and repeatability [38]. This article mainly introduces several common molecular biology detection technologies.

3.3.1. RFLP Marking Technique

RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) mainly involves designing appropriate amplification primers to include one or more polymorphic restriction endonuclease recognition sequences. After PCR amplification, the restriction enzyme is used to cleave the PCR product, resulting in a highly polymorphic amplification fragment, as shown in Figure 1. Zhang Peijiang et al. [39] applied RFLP technology to distinguish rice varieties, and explored the possibility of utilizing this technology in hybrid rice breeding.

RFLP is the earliest technique applied to seed identification at the DNA level, with a stable polymorphism, good repeatability, and high accuracy. However, the technology is costly and complex, and is currently widely used in crops such as corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, and chili peppers [40]. Due to the need for a large number of high-purity DNA samples for analysis, and the frequent use of isotopes, the high risk in this technology limits the application of RFLP in seed disease detection and identification.

3.3.2. SSR Marking Technique

A SSR (simple sequence repeat) is a type of DNA sequence composed of several (usually 1–6) nucleotides in series, with a length generally within 100 bp. Each SSR position is usually a relatively conservative single-copy sequence on both sides, meaning that a pair of specific primers can be designed based on the sequence on both sides, to amplify the SSR sequence. Through electrophoresis, and the comparison of the migration distance of the amplified bands, it is known that different individuals show polymorphism at a certain SSR site [41]. Li Ruyu et al. [42] established a technical procedure for identifying the purity of maize hybrids using SSR markers, which provided convenience for analyzing a large number of seed samples, and quickly and accurately identified the purity of maize hybrids. When using SSR markers to detect wheat seed hybridization, Shi Haibo et al. [43] pointed out that both seed hybridization and impure SSR loci can cause differences in SSR bands between plants, and proposed the concept of impure SSR loci, which indicates that this phenomenon is common in wheat varieties.

The SSR marking technique uses codominance inheritance, and can identify heterozygotes and homozygotes. It is rich in polymorphism, and has a large amount of information, which has the advantages of stable and reliable results and a good repeatability. However, because the technique must know the sequence information at both ends of the repeat sequence, and determine the primer sequence accordingly, the cost of screening repeat sequences at the early stage is higher, leading to certain restrictions on the practical application of the SSR method [44].

3.3.3. PCR Technique

The principle of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is that primers (oligonucleotide probes) are designed to anneal specific DNA sequences into the chromosome DNA or RNA of the target organism, hybridize it with millions of copies of the target sequence, and directly amplify it, and then the amplified DNA can be seen, after electrophoresis on ethidium bromide agarose gel [45]. In order to establish a molecular detection and identification technique for the black spot pathogen in cruciferous vegetables, Yun Xiaomin et al. [46] selected three species of black spot pathogen as experimental subjects, screened enriched culture media suitable for their growth, and identified them using the PCR detection method. Udayashankar et al. developed a PCR-based diagnostic method to detect leaf blight and fruit rot pathogens in eggplants. This method can detect leaf blight and fruit rot very quickly and sensitively, and the results are reliable [47].

PCR has many beneficial characteristics, including a fast detection speed, strong specificity, and high sensitivity. Due to its enormous potential, it has been applied to the detection of various seed diseases, providing a very useful tool in the prevention and control of seed diseases. At present, one of the main drawbacks of PCR technology in seed disease detection is quantification. However, the cost of the necessary equipment still cannot be met in conventional seed disease detection.

3.3.4. qPCR Technique

The qPCR (real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction) technique is a method to measure the total amount of products after each PCR cycle with fluorescent chemicals in a DNA amplification reaction, and can detect the amount of gene expression, and verify the data for the expression profile chip or transcriptome sequencing. This technology has a high sensitivity, wide applicability, simplicity, and low cost, making it suitable for analyzing a large number of genes. However, it requires a high primer specificity, and specificity analysis needs to be performed, through fusion curves, following PCR [48]. The most commonly used method is the fluorescent dye embedding method, as shown in Figure 2.

Duressa et al. [49] used the qPCR technique to detect and quantify Vibrio dahliae in the spinach germplasm and 15 commercial spinach seed batches, and could reliably quantify Vibrio dahliae in spinach seeds. This experiment can be used to qualitatively evaluate the level of Vibrio dahliae infection in seed batches. Pal et al. [50] developed a real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR targeting the inter-gene sequence of cpsAB for the specific detection of P. stewartii subsp. stewartii in corn seeds, and distinguishing it from P. stewartii subsp. Indologenes; this study effectively avoids false positive results, and contributes to the international flow of corn seeds.

3.3.5. Nested PCR Technique

The nested PCR technique requires two rounds of PCR reactions, using two sets of primers to amplify specific DNA fragments. The function of the second pair of primers is to specifically amplify a segment of DNA located within the first round of the PCR product. The advantage of this technique is that if the first amplification produces an incorrect fragment, the probability of primer pairing and amplification on the wrong fragment in the second amplification is extremely low. Therefore, the amplification of nested PCR is very specific [51], and its principle is shown in Figure 3.

Zhang Gui et al. [52] used the nested PCR technique to detect whether the seed coat of sunflower seeds can carry the verticillium wilt fungus. The results showed that the seed coat of sunflower seeds can carry the verticillium wilt pathogen, and that nested PCR can be used as a fast and feasible method to detect whether sunflower verticillium wilt seeds carry the fungus. This result is of great significance to future effective prevention and control technology research into sunflower verticillium wilt. Moreover, in olives, Karajeh [53] confirmed the seed transmission of verticillium wilt in seedlings using the nested PCR method.

3.3.6. Emerging Technology

With the developments in science and technology in recent years, bioinformatics-based tools have also been widely applied in the agricultural field. Studies have shown that nanotechnology has significant antibacterial effects on various plant pathogens. This technology has advantages such as strong oxidation and a strong stability, good broad-spectrum properties, and a strong killing effect on multiple pathogens, and does not easily lead to drug resistance in pathogens [54], and the seeds sold can be tracked based on nanobarcodes. As pathogens are transmitted through seeds, this technology can also be used to detect pathogens [55,56].

A summary of this section is shown in

Table 2. Detection methods for seed diseases.

Detection Methods	Required Time	Sensibility	Specificity	Applicability
Visual inspection	5–10 min	Low	Low	Cheap, requires professional knowledge
Washing inspection	30–50 min	Low	Low	The process is cumbersome, and requires counting under a microscope
Germination test	7–14 d	Low	Low	Simple and cheap, but takes a long time
Immunological testing	2–4 h	Middle–high	Middle–high	Expensive and requires professional instruments
RFLP marking technique	4–6 h	High	High	The process is cumbersome, the cycle is long, the operation is difficult, and the cost is high
SSR marking technique	4–6 h	High	High	The program is simple, but time-consuming. The results show a good repeatability
PCR technique	5–6 h	High	Very high	Expensive but easy to explain
qPCR technique	4–6 h	Very high	Very high	Complex, expensive, with high specificity requirements for primers
Nested PCR technique	5–6 h	Very high	Very high	Can ensure the accuracy and feasibility of the response

.

4. Prevention and Control Methods

Seed-borne diseases not only damage seedlings, and spread diseases during the germination process, but also cause poisoning to humans and animals. Therefore, when preventing and controlling seed diseases, it is necessary to develop practical and feasible prevention and control plans, and actively carry out prevention and control management, in order to effectively improve the overall efficiency of seed disease prevention and control work, and reduce the impact of disease problems on the crop quality and yield.

4.1. Seed Treatment

Seed treatment is an important measure for preventing and controlling seed diseases [57], mainly including the following aspects.

4.1.1. Hot Water Treatment of Seeds

This treatment involves soaking the seeds to be disinfected in warm soap, and soaking them in constant-temperature hot water at a certain temperature (usually 50–55 °C). After remaining thus for a period of time, the seeds are removed. When this method is used, the temperature and time are strictly controlled, to control the spread of disease via the seeds. For pepper seed diseases, the seeds can be soaked in hot water at 60 ℃, with a water volume three times the amount of seeds. The seeds are slowly poured in, stirred during pouring, and soaked for 12–24 h when the temperature drops to 25–30 °C [58].

4.1.2. Dry Heat Treatment

Dry heat treatment refers to baking in the warehouse for a certain time and temperature, to kill bacteria. This method is very effective for pathogenic microorganisms causing plant disease inside seeds. The tomato mosaic virus needs to be roasted at 80 °C for 1 d, cucumber scab at 70 °C for 2 d, and the cucurbitaceae green spot mosaic virus needs to be roasted at 70 °C for 3 d [59].

4.1.3. Chemical Seed Mixing

In the planting of crops, in order to prevent the occurrence of disease, the choice is often made to mix pesticides with seeds that have insecticidal and antibacterial effects. This method can effectively prevent the occurrence of crop seed diseases. When selecting drugs, it is important to understand the scope of application and specific dosage of the drugs, minimize the impact of the drugs on the crop seed quality, and achieve the scientific management of drug use. At present, many pesticides are used in seed treatment. For example, when Sun Yanmin and others studied the toxicity, safety, and field control effects of fungicides against the potato black shank pathogen, they used ethyl allicin for seed dressing. The experimental results showed that the seed dressing effect was good, and it was the preferred pesticide for controlling this pathogen [60].

4.1.4. Seed Coating

Seed coating is the process of covering seeds with a small amount of exogenous materials and, in some cases, it can also be used as a carrier filler. The purpose of treating seeds with this method is to promote the crop growth and yield [61]. The effective components in the coating can be absorbed by the plant root system, and transmitted to various parts of the seedling plant, enabling the seeds and seedlings to have a preventive effect on seed carriers, soil carriers, and underground and aboveground pests [62].

Zeng et al. [63] prepared a new environmentally friendly seed-coating agent, which is mainly composed of natural polysaccharide polymers, and has harmless characteristics. Field experiments showed that this method increased the corn yield by 17.75%, increased the activity of plant protective enzymes, and increased the content of chlorophyll, achieving the goals of disease prevention, pest control, yield increase, and safety.

4.2. Integrated Control

4.2.1. Physical Control

Physical control mainly uses methods such as thermal treatment and radiation treatment to prevent and control seed diseases. If the seeds are sun-dried before sowing, soaking them in 1% lime water, or soaking them in warm water at a certain temperature, can effectively prevent and control various rice and wheat diseases carried via the seeds [64]. Treating peach brown rot with radiation also has good control effects [65].

4.2.2. Chemical Control

Chemical control is an important means of seed disease control, which has the characteristics of a wide range, significant effects, and simple methods. A study has found that soaking seeds with a 20% horseradish water emulsion 1500 dilution solution is safe for cotton seed emergence and seedling growth, and has a significant inhibitory effect on the mycelial growth of the cotton verticillium wilt fungus [66].

4.2.3. Biological Control

Biological control mainly utilizes or coordinates the mutual relationship between beneficial microorganisms and pathogens, making it beneficial for microorganisms, but not conducive to the growth and development of pathogens, in order to prevent and control diseases. It is of great significance to explore the effects of using Trichoderma koningii strain to treat wheat and cucumber seeds on their germination, and on preventing and controlling seed diseases [67]. In addition, the use of microbial pesticides can reduce pollution, avoid killing beneficial organisms, protect the stability of agricultural ecosystems, and make up for the shortcomings of chemical pesticides.

4.3. Strengthen Quarantine

Plant quarantine is a bio-safety measure that prevents the spread of harmful organisms in plants and their products during circulation, through legislative means. Plant quarantine objects often spread through reproductive materials, such as seeds and seedlings. Therefore, strengthening plant quarantine work can prevent the spread of dangerous seed diseases from epidemic areas to non-epidemic areas, and effectively control their occurrence and harm [68].

The summary of this section is shown in

Table 3. Advantages and disadvantages of seed disease prevention and control methods.

Control Methods	Advantages	Disadvantages
Hot water treatment of seeds	Effectively disinfect seeds	The soaking temperature and time vary with the amount of seed carrier and the tolerance of the pathogen, and the soaking time is generally very long
Dry heat treatment	Mainly used in vegetable seeds, especially suitable for heat-resistant melon and eggplant vegetable seeds, etc.	The germination rate of old seeds will be limited
Chemical seed mixing	Suitable for processing large batches of seeds, with a short time and high efficiency. It has a disinfection effect on the seeds themselves, and has a long efficacy	It is not possible to disinfect the inside of the seeds, and it is not suitable to soak and induce the germination of the treated seeds before sowing
Seed coating	Has a good product packaging appearance, will not cause toxicity to the seeds themselves and seedlings, is harmless to the environment, and is more conducive to mechanized sowing	Insufficient systematic research, insufficient research on coating components and crop impacts, and a lack of targeted coating agents
Physical control	Safety, environmental protection	It can be limited to a specific disease, and requires certain facilities
Chemical control	It has the characteristics of fast and efficient use, simple usage, no regional restrictions, and few seasonal restrictions, and can play a relatively good role in disease prevention and control	Polluting the environment and disrupting the ecological balance, drug resistance, pesticide residues, and other rampant issues are highlighted
Biological control	Low environmental pollution, effective protection of natural enemies, and a continuous control effect	The effect is slow, and susceptible to environmental factors
Inspection and quarantine	A wide protection range, high safety, and high inspection efficiency	Requires a good technical strength and equipment, has high requirements for quarantine inspection, and increases potential hazards

.

5. Conclusions

In agricultural production, seeds are the key to ensuring increased production and income. Only via strengthening seed inspections, and ensuring that the seed quality meets standards, can good economic benefits be achieved. The planting and disease prevention of seeds are directly related to the yield and quality of crops, and the early prevention and control of seed diseases comprises an important management measure.

This paper reviews detection and identification methods and control methods for common seed diseases. In the future, the correct method should be selected according to the situation in the use process. These methods are somewhat traditional, and their effectiveness is not very good, requiring us to combine some emerging technologies when formulating detection and control strategies [69]. Developments in bioinformatics technology, nanotechnology, computer technology, and other technologies have broad application prospects in seed management and detection.

In summary, seed diseases play an increasingly important role in agricultural production. In the process of agricultural production, it is necessary to have a timely grasp on the occurrence of diseases, adopt effective detection and identification methods, formulate effective prevention and control strategies, strengthen disease prevention work, and provide guarantees of a stable increase in agricultural production.